What is it about the new year that makes us stop and reflect on our life? I think it’s a great thing to do—-at any time of the year. But something about December rolling around and knowing there’s a new year and a fresh start around the corner makes us think about changes we’d like to make, things we did or didn’t do well in the current year (or past years), and goals we would like to set.
This week has been interesting for me. My uncle passed away. Although he has been ill and weakened for years, it was quite unexpected when it happened. It made me think a lot about my mom too. She passed away a year and a half ago from breast cancer.
I remembered some of the things she told me right before she died—-the things she wished she would have done but never got the chance to do them or things she just never did even though she could have.
My mom was a great Christian lady and a lot of fun to be around. She loved life. As she neared the end of hers though, she had a lot of time to just reflect on what all she did or didn’t accomplish. There were actually a few things that she really wished she could have done.
As I thought about that this week, I thought about my own life.
- What will I regret one day if I never do it?
- What will I wish I would have done?
- Will I be satisfied with who I am at the end of my life? Or will I wish that I would have been different?
- God cares more about our being (who we are) than our doing. Will I be exactly the person He created me to be and reflecting Him in everything I do? Will I be like Him?
I want to be intentional this year (and every year). But for now, we’re looking at 2013. I will be intentional in 2013. I will not get to December next year and regret things that I had good intentions to do but never did. I will live every day on purpose! That will take some planning and commitment.
I am working on my plan for the year. I am writing down the various areas of my life and what I would like to work on or develop in each area. I am writing down my 30-day goals, 90-day goals, 6-month goals and then the 1-year goals. They don’t have to be extensive plans (although some may be). Simple goals are fine. The key will be working towards them and not giving up—as well as making them realistic and achievable. (I will write a post about SMART goals later this week.)
I’ll let you know once I get my plan finished. I will work on it all weekend so that I can really think about my goals and be specific.
So, what about you?
- Will you be intentional in 2013?
- Do you have any regrets that you would like to change?
- Do you have any things that you want to do in life that you would regret if you never did them?
Today is the perfect day to begin living intentionally!
Let’s get to December 31, 2013 and say we have no regrets about the past year!
